Continuous method for the treatment of compressed fibrous material with gaseous substances



y 23, 1967 M. CHAIKIN ETAL 3,320,675

CONTINUOUS METHOD FOR THE TREATMENT OF COMPRESSED FIBROUS MATERIAL WITH GASEOUS SUBSTANCES Filed March 27, 1964 HLE XHAIDER 5HM$0N Atlorneyf;

gion and/ or past the jetting gaseous substance.

United States Patent 3,320,675 CONTINUOUS METHOD FOR THE TREATMENT OF COMPRESSED FIBROUS MATERIAL WITH GASEOUS SUBSTANCES Malcolm Chaikin, 23 Mermaid Ave., Maroubra, New South Wales, Australia, and Alexander Samson, Wisdom Road, Greenwich, New South Wales, Australia Filed Mar. 27, 1964, Ser. No. 355,506 Claims priority, application Australia, Apr. 5, 1963, 29,256/63 Claims. (Cl. 34-16) This invention relates to the continuous treatment of compressed fibrous material in the loose form, or as slivers, roving, yarn or fabric with gaseous substances such as cold or hot air or steam or a mixture of air and water vapour for the purpose of adding or removing heat and/ or moisture or chemicals as well as to change the physical and/or chemical structure and properties of the compressed fibrous material.

The passage of a fluid (either gaseous or liquid) through fibrous material will disturb the configuration and thus the degree of entanglement of the individual strands, making up the bulk of the material, whereas if the material is suitably compressed between porous surfaces, the passage of a fluid through the compressed material will not disturb the individual configurations and will allow the required physical and/or chemical actions to take place on the surface of and within the individual strands of the fibrous material.

The drying of textile fibres with air, the treatment of textile fibre assemblies with steam or a mixture of air and Water vapour and the passage of gases and vapours through fibrous assemblies are examples of applications of this invention to compressed material.

The actual method used in forcing the gaseous substances which may be a mixture of gaseous substances through the compressed fibrous material may be to pro duce a pressure difference on the two sides of the fibrous material and/or to direct jets of the gaseous substance through nozzles onto one or both sides of the fibrous material. The fibrous material is preferably compressed between two porous layers and conveyed at a suitable speed past the gaseous substance pressure difference re- The term porous is used in this specification to refer to any suitable material through which the gaseous substance can pass freely. In this way, continuous processing is taking place in one or more units of apparatus which may be necessary to accomplish the required treatment, without individual fibre movement.

The invention in its broadest aspect consists in a method of treating a mass of fibres with a gaseous fluid wherein the fibres are formed into a layer and compressed and treating gaseous fluid is applied on one or both sides of the layer, directed transversely thereto, the layer of fibres being compressed to an extent such that relative movement between individual fibres is substantially prevented whilst allowing the gaseous fluid to act freely on all fibres.

The invention further consists in an apparatus for carrying out the process defined above.

One type of apparatus to accomplish the purpose(s) of this invention is illustrated in the accompanying diagrammatic drawing, in which the fibrous material, whether in loose or aligned or assembled form, is compressed and conveyed between two porous surfaces, one a conveyor belt 2 and the other a wire-mesh (or punch-plate) covered drum 3. Compression is obtained by virtue of tension in the porous belt and the upper and/or lower manifolds receive the gaseous substance from a fan, blower or compressor or direct from the fluid source and direct it towards the moving compressed fibrous ma- 3,320,675 Patented May 23, 1967 terial, through which it passes, and is either wholly or partly lost to the atmosphere or wholly or partly recirculated through the gaseous substance flow circuit.

In the present invention, fibrous material is placed on roller 1 which is partly wrapped around by an endless porous conveyor belt of the porous chain, brattice or mesh type 2, and it is conveyed and compressed between belt 2 and porous drum 3-, in which state it is conveyed at a specific speed in a circular arc to the driving (and delivery) roller 4 from which the fibrous material is removed. The belt 2 encompasses a tensioning pivoted roller 5 which, by virtue of the tension it imposes on belt 2 by means of the pivoted lever 6 and the loading device 7 (in the present case consisting of a heavy weight) induces a compressive force along the arc of contact between the belt 2 and porous drum 3thus fibrous material located between belt 2 and porous drum 3 is compressed, and when the tensioning and conveying system moves the compressed fibrous layer is transported from roller 1 to roller 4 via the arc of contact along porous drum 3. g

The gaseous fluid may be applied under pressure to the fibrous material from within and from outside porous drum 3. From the outside, a manifold 8, which may be partitioned in order to supply gaseous substances of different conditions, distributes the fluid into a pressure box 9 which allows the fluid to impinge and pass through the moving fibrous layer into the porous drum 3, from Where it is removed via hood 10', either into the atmosphere and/ or to the blower or fan or compressor suction for recirculation into the fluid system. Both the stationary pressure box 9* and hood 10 are made to contact the moving porous drum 3 to seal the spaces between them in order to minimize and prevent fluid leakage to the outside of the system (e.-g. the atmosphere). Inside the porous drum 3 may be located sealed baffles 11, also to prevent leakage. For the inside treatment the gaseous fluid is supplied through centre pipe 12 which also acts as a bearing shaft for the rotating porous drum 3. To this transverse pipe 12 is connected a manifold or tubular member 13 which terminates in a reduced nozzleshaped opening located to direct the gaseous fluid to impinge on the moving compressed fibre layer along the length of the drum and in a radial direction opposite to that issueing from pressure box 9.

The dried fibrous material may be removed from the porous conveyor belt 2 by means of a rotating beater 14 which flicks the fibrous material into a bin or chute or conveyor belt.

Part of the invention is incorporated in and explained by the purpose of the design of manifold 8 and pressure box 9 which is to be able to control the quality and quantity of conditioning fluid to the particular portions of the moving layer of fibrous material dependent on the quality requirements of the dried fibrous material. Gaseous fluid may be supplied to the manifold 8 under pressure from a blower, fan or compressor, or from a gaseous fluid source (e.g. a steam boiler) via a conditioning apparatus such as a heater, cooler or device which changes the properties of the conditioning flu-id to suit the operating requirements.

Experiments conducted to date in the drying and steaming of compressed fibrous material and in particular wool, show that the method of the invention results in a much improved product in that there is virtually no entanglement of the fibrous material during processing and that is mainly due to the compression of the fibres. It should be noted that the fibrous material is compressed wherever conditioning fluid-fibre contact takes place.

For the purpose of drying fibrous material the fibres are conveyed in a compressed state between two porous conveyors and are subjected to the action of atmospheric or conditioned air generally directed transversely to the direction of movement of the fibrous layed, the degree of compression of the fibres being such as to reduce relative movement of the fibres to a practical minimum whereby the tendency of the fibre-s to entangle is substantially reduced.

For the purpose of steaming fibrous material the fibres are conveyed in a compressed state between two porous conveyors and are subjected to the action of steam or air/water vapour mixtures generally directed transversely to the direction of movement of the fibrous layer, the degree of compression of the fibres being such as to reduce relative movement of the fibres to a practical minimum whereby the tendency of the fibres to entangle is substantially reduced,

It is within the scope of this invention to design the apparatus and make such variations, alterations and changes as may be deemed advisable in order to suit the particular fibrous material so as to obtain optimum physical and/or chemical treatment consistent with minimum tntanglernent, such as:

(a) The period and amount of compression exerted on the fibrous material,

(b) The physical dimensions and type of the treating apparatus and this number,

() The chemical and/ or physical composition of the gaseous fluids used for treatment of the compressed fibrous material,

(d) The rate and method of transporting the compressed fibrous material through the apparatus,

(e) The physical and/ or chemical transformations imposed on the compressed fibrous material,

(f) The size and density of the compressed fibrous layer passing through the treating apparatus,

(g) The rate and method of changing and regenerating the desirable properties of the gaseous fluid for treating compressed fibrous material,

(h) The materials used in the component parts of the apparatus to accomplish the purpose of this invention.

What we claim is:

1. A. method of treating a mass of loose fibers with a gaseous fluid employing means for compressing the fibers which means permit passage of fluid through the fibers comprising, prior to the fluid treatment, forming the fibers into a layer and compressing the layer with the compressing means to a controlled, positive, predetermined and uniform degree of compression to an extent such that the fibers are freely exposed to the treatment fluid and relative movement between individual fibers is substantially prevented during treatment, maintaining the fibers in compression while applying the treatment by directing the gaseous fluid through said layer of compressed fibers, said gaseous fluid acting freely on all of the fibers, and after treatment releasing the pressure from the fibers.

2. A method, according to claim 1, wherein the layer of fibers is moved past the impinging treating gaseous fluid while compressed.

3. A method, according to claim 1, wherein the fibers are conveyed in a compressed state and the gaseous fluid constitutes atmospheric and conditioned air directed transversely to the direction of movement of the fibrous layers, the degree of compression of the fibres being such as to reduce the relative movement of the fibers to a practical minimum whereby the tendency of the fibers to entangle is substantially reduced.

4. A method, according to claim 1, wherein the fibers being treated are sheeps wool.

5. A device for treating a mass of loose fibers with a gaseous fluid comprising a rotary porous drum, an inlet roller adjacent one side of said porous drum, a delivery roller adjacent the other side of said porous drum, an endless porous belt trained to run over said inlet roller around a portion of said porous drum and over said delivery roller, means for directing fibers between said inlet roller and said porous drum, means for rotating said porous drum, said inlet roller and said delivery roller and for moving said porousbelt to transport fibrous material between said porous belt and said porous drum, means for tensioning said endless belt to compress the material which is delivered around on said drum, and means for directing a gaseous fluid through the material as it is being transported around said drum including a pressure manifold disposed around a portion of said drum below said porous belt conveyor and arranged to direct gaseous fluid through said conveyor to said fibers and a discharge manifold located around a portion of said drum on the opposite side thereof from said belt conveyor for receiving the fluid which has been discharged through the material and through said drum, and means within said drum for directing a gaseous fluid under pressure against said material at a location away from said pressured and discharge manifolds.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS MARTIN P. SCHWADRON, Primary Examiner.

FREDERICK L. MATTESON, JR., Examiner.

B. L. ADAMS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A METHOD OF TREATING A MASS OF LOOSE FIBERS WITH A GASEOUS FLUID EMPLOYING MEANS FOR COMPRESSING THE FIBERS WHICH MEANS PERMIT PASSAGE OF FLUID THROUGH THE FIBERS COMPRISING, PRIOR TO THE FLUID TREATMENT, FORMING THE FIBERS INTO A LAYER AND COMPRESSING THE LAYER WITH THE COMPRESSING MEANS TO A CONTROLLED, POSITIVE, PREDETERMINED AN UNIFORM DEGREE OF COMPRESSION TO AN EXTENT SUCH THAT THE FIBERS ARE FREELY EXPOSED TO THE TREATMENT FLUID AND RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN INDIVIDUAL FIBERS IS SUBSTANTIALLY PREVENTED DURING TREATMENT, MAINTAINING THE FIBERS IN COMPRESSION WHILE APPLYING THE TREATMENT BY DIRECTING THE GASEOUS FLUID THROUGH SIAD LAYER OF COMPRESSED FIBERS, SAID GASEOUS FLUID THROUGH SAID LAYER OF COMPRESSED FIBERS, AND AFTER TREATMENT RELEASING THE PRESSURE FROM THE FIBERS.
 3. A METHOD, ACCORDING TO CLAIM 1, WHEREIN THE FIBERS ARE CONVEYED IN A COMPRESSED STATE AND THE GASEOUS FLUID CONSTITUTES ATMOSPHERIC AND CONDITIONED AIR DIRECTD TRANSVERSELY TO THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF THE FIBROUS LAYERS, THE DEGREE OF COMPRESSION OF THE FIBRES BEING SUCH AS TO REDUCE THE RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF THE FIBERS TO A PRACTICAL MINIMUM WHEREBY THE TENDENCY OF THE FIBERS TO ENTANGLE IS SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED. 